Detachable wheel.



J. LEDWINKA.

DETACHABLE WHEEL.

APPUCATION nuzo JULY 19.1916.

Patented May 7,1918.

JOSEPH LEnwmxA, of" riiiiniiiinrnfl,

.nvanii nssienon; BY M SNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO BUDD wnnnnrconronamomor rnmnnm'nra, rnmrsn- VANIA, ACORPORATIONOFVIRGINIA. Y

Be it known "hat I, Josnrn Lnnwnwm, a" citizen of the Unitedstates, residing at Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia fitateof QPennsylvania have made a certa n new and useful Invention Qin Detachable Wheels, of which the following is a specificatlon.

This invention relates to wheels of "the typewherein the wheel ismade readily and easilydetachable. v

The ob'ect ofthe invention is to provide means which are simple instructure, eco-, nomicalto manufacture, and eflicientin opa on, for d ch b y ampi a w ee upon its supporting orcarr nghub oraxle.

The invention consists su stantially 1n the construction, combination, location and'relative arrangements Ofparts, all as will be more fullyhereinafter set forth, as shown in the accompanying drawing, a,nd finally pointedo ut in the appended claims,

In the drawingp i f Figure 1 isva broken view in longitudinal section showing a wheel-structure of the wire -spoke type and detachable; clamping means therefor embodying the principles of Fig. 2 is a transverse, section onthe line 2, 2,-F ig. 1,;lookingin thedirection of the arrows. a i

The same part designatedvby. the same reference sign wherever it occurs throughout the several views. a i s I have shown my invention in detachable clamping means as applied to a wheel of the wire spoke, type, but it will be obvious that I am not to be limited orrestricted to thistype of wheelLfl Inlits essential characteristics my inven tion contemplates a wheel having a hub member adapted to be ,removablyj mounted upon a supporting hubor axle, and the emtained, a ainst an en aging surface of thewheel hub, with a we ging member to expansibly force said ballsflnto clamping engagement' with said engaging surface to detachably clamp and secure the wheel hub and wheelin place.

In the form of structure shown as an embodiment of myinvention the axle 3, extends through a sleeve 4, in the ordinary and usual manner of floating axle structures,

S e ification of Letters Pate I fi ri 1 8. uib. 1110116 magi my-asaasaw behu': i "eat;-

- ture. 1:

. @Betgntefli i 51s,

AThub; sleeve .fieiintditd evdlve,

pre e ably up hal b er ngsf an i the case: of 5a ,floating. axle/type, of construction,

is suitably geared-to gbe%'drivenrfrom the axle, as, for example, through the'intermesh- 1 mg gears 7. The. hubislee've 5,isprovided With; an annular:conicali'portion 8 toform a seat ,for thefwheel hub sleeve 9,, i which: is provided, with a cooperating conical portion or surfacellO. .If desired, and-where the wheel ut sleeve i intended to rotatewith the axlehub sleeve 5, means are provided for locking the cooperating seating portions 8, 10, so as to rotate ,together,jas, for examplefby providing'saidseating surfaces With cooperating plane portions. In 5 the case'of a wire spoked' wheel the spokesl l,

12, are suitably.- connected to thejin'ner and outer ends of the wheel hub sleeve, and to the wheel rim 13.

The outer end of the axleihub sleeve i5-i is suitably threaded to receive a clamp nut14.

Interposed between the axle hub sleeves? and the removable wheel'hub sleeve 9, are;

a series of balls 15, preferably steel balls. These balls are flexibly retained upon the axle hu bqsleeve in any suitable manner,

such, for example, as, by means of a coiled the balls as clearly, shown, thereby forming;

an' expansible. Circlet of .connectedfballs."

spring ring-16, which' is threaded through The wheel hub sleeve 9, is provided with a portion or surface 17 with which the balls 15, co6peratively engage. ,In the arrange--- ment shown int-he drawing the surface or portion 17 isinclined, thereby forming a.

clamping shoulder orv abutment agalnst surface 17, being outwardly inclined in reing surfaces8 and1 0, so .thatwhen the cir which the ballsbear,,the inclination of said .Y

v verse direction to the inclination ofthe seat clet ofjballs 15. is expandedto force theballs against the surface 17 the wheel hub sleeve 9, or the portion 10- thereof, is forced-- firmlytinto itsseating ontlie surface 8 of.

the axle ,hub sleeve, 5, and held thereon.

The ball circletj may be expanded, to effect,

the clamping engagement; referred to, in I any'suitable or convenient manner. In the form shown as exemplifying my invention the cap nut 14 is providedwith a beveled surface 18, at its inner end which enters the expansible ball circlet and hence, when said nut is screwed up the beveled surface 18 expands the circlet thereby forcing the balls outwardly into bearing contact against the surface 17 and, hence clamping the wheel hub sleeve in place. By unscrewing the cap 14 the expansible circlet of balls contracts, thereby releasing the balls from hearing contact against the surface 17, and hence permitting the sleeve 9, and with it the entire wheel to be withdrawn from the axle hub member 5.

If desired, or necessary, the axle hub sleeve 5, may be provided with an annular retaining shoulder 19 for the expansible ball circlet.

It will be seen that the clamping balls bear only at points instead of extended areas or surfaces, against the engaging surface 17. It will also be seen that the ball circlet may be applied to the sleeve 5, in any particular way with relation to each other as would be the case if wedge blocks are employed. In other words the circlet may be slipped over the end of the sleeve 5, without regard to whether one face or the other of the circlet is presented inwardly or outwardly, and whether one ball is in proper individual displacement with respect to an adjacent ball. This is a ractical advan tage in that the assembly 0 the structure is greatly facilitated and the assembling is made more certain. The structure is very simple, and inexpensive to manufacture thereby substantially reducing the cost.

The screw ca 14 may be retained in screwed on relation in any suitable or convenient manner but means for that purpose form no part of my present invention.

Havin now set forth the objects and nature 0 my present invention, and a construction embodying the principles thereof, what I claim as new and useful and of my own invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:--'

1. In a detachable wheel, an axle hub sleeve and a wheel hub sleeve, and means to detachably clam said sleeves together including an expans ble circlet of balls, and

. means to ex an means to expand said circlet into clamping relation. V

2. In a detachable Wheel, an axle hub sleeve and a wheel huh sleeve, and means to detachably clamp said sleeves together including an expansible circlet of balls, and a screw ca having a beveled surface to enter said circlet and expand the same into clam ing relation.

3. In a detachable wheel, an axle hub sleeve and a wheel hub sleeve, said sleeves mounted the one upon the other and having engaging seating surfaces, in combination with an expansible circlet of balls interposed between said sleeves, the outer sleeve having a bearing surface against which said balls act, and means to releasably expand said circlet for the balls thereof to engage said bearing surface.

4. In a detachable wheel, an axle hub sleeve and a wheel hub sleeve, said sleeves having cooperating annular seating surfaces, the wheel hub sleeve having a bear .ing surface, an annular expansible circlet of balls surroundin the axle hub sleeve, and

halls thereo to engage said bearing surace.

5. In a detachable wheel, an axle hub sleeve and a wheel hub sleeve, said axle hub sleeve having an annular inclined seating surface adjacent its inner end and an annular retaining shoulder adjacent its outer end, said wheel hub sleeve having a cooperating annular inclined seating surface adjacent its inner end and reversely inclined bearin surface adjacent its outer end, an expansible circlet of balls encircling the axle hub sleeve and retained by the shoulder thereon, and means tov expand said circlet to cause said balls to engage the bearing surface on said wheel hub sleeve.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of the subscribing witnesses, onthis 10th day of July A. D., 1916.

JOSEPH LEDWINKA.

Witnesses:

L. R. HEYARD, A. I-LBnnrmM.

said circlet to cause the 

